US embassy cable - 03ADANA259

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0259 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          OCTOBER 4-6, 2003 
 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press 
summary for October 4-6, 2003.  Please note 
that Turkish press reports often contain 
errors or exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana 
does not vouch for the accuracy of the 
reports summarized here. 
 
 
POLITICAL, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
 
2. Turkiye, Milli Gazete / Four people 
attempted to open the storage door of the 
Isbank Karsiyaka branch in Adana, but 
escaped when they heard the police sirens. 
 
 
3. Ozgur Gundem / The case of the Ortakoy 
villagers in Sirnak who attempted to leave 
their villages and walked towards the Iraqi 
border is continuing. Villagers accuse the 
Jandarma Commander of the village of 
torture.  Allegedly a Jandarma soldier also 
accused his commander of torturing him as he 
fell asleep during his duty.  Reyhan 
Yalcindag, head of the Human Rights 
Organization in Turkey, announced that this 
incident is a sign of the danger villagers 
are facing at the moment. 
 
 
4. Ozgur Gundem / Kurdish youth groups in 
Diyarbakir, Siirt and other parts of Turkey 
organized meetings and parades for 
"Democratic Solutions for Peace."  Four 
people were detained due to the booklets 
they distributed during the meetings. 
 
 
5. Ozgur Gundem / A relative of a prisoner 
accused Bitlis Prison officials of punishing 
prisoners by placing them in solitary 
confinement because they haven't accepted 
the new "reintegration law".  Arafat Ozlu, a 
relative of another prisoner from Bitlis 
prison, stated that the officials did not 
even accept mail for his brother in the 
prison. 
 
 
6. Ozgur Gundem / Human Rights Organization and 
Immigrants' Association (GOC-DER) stated in 
their joint report that before villagers 
return to their villages in Bogazkoy, Dicle, 
Van province, all the basic needs of the 
villages, like drinking water, schooling, 
health services, electricity and telephone, 
should be supplied. 
 
 
7. Milliyet / One hundred and seven Armenians 
from different parts of Turkey attended the 
worship service in Akdamar Church, Van 
province.  The group visited the churches in 
Gevas, Akdamar Island, and Carpanak Island. 
 
 
8. Cumhuriyet, Turkiye, Ozgur Gundem / Attorney 
Yesim Dogan Kar sued 405 Jandarma personnel 
in Mardin for raping a girl known by the 
initials "S.E." in 1993.  S.E had been 
detained in the Caykoy Jandarma Station 
during the time of the alleged incident. 
 
 
9. Ekspres, Bolge / Sergeant John Michael from 
Incirlik Base, Adana was fined for driving 
while under the influence of alcohol and 
disturbing the peace with loud music during 
his drive.  Michael was also fined for 
driving a car with no emission check. 
Michael's driving license was detained for 6 
months. 
 
 
10. Evrensel / Diyarbakir Education Union 
(Egitim-Sen), during its October 5 World 
Teacher's Day press conference, made 
announcements in Turkish and Kurdish. 
11. Turkiye / Alleged PKK/KADEK members 
Hursit Aslan and Kasim Abi were detained by 
Hatay Jandarma Forces in Belen, Hatay. 
Aslan and Abi had not applied for the 
"reintegration law". 
 
 
12. Turkiye / Fourteen-year-old Mustafa 
Barut was injured after playing with the 
landmine he found in Genc, Bingol province. 
 
 
13. Ekspres, Turkiye / Adana Education 
Officials called on all businessmen and 
foreign embassies in Turkey to help the 
schools in Adana.  Three people from the USA 
and Japan applied to Turkish officials for 
help in the construction of new schools and 
laboratories. 
 
 
14. Ozgur Gundem / The Democratic People's 
Party (DEHAP) Women's Branches organized 
meetings for "Peace" in Diyarbakir.  DEHAP 
women spoke of the importance of Abdullah 
Ocalan's health conditions in prison. 
 
 
15. Ozgur Gundem / In Malatya prison, 44 
KADEK members reportedly were prevented from 
seeing their visitors since they were on a 
2-day hunger strike to protest to prison 
management about an undisclosed grievance. 
 
 
TOURISM and CULTURE 
 
 
16. Turkiye / Two American authors, Angie 
Breener and Joy Ttocke, came to Mardin to 
collect information for their book about 
Mardin. 
REID